Un Jour
by Hyperteenager24
Summary: Clopin's life from the birth of his twin siblings and the troubles that come with being a gypsy in Paris.
1. Chapter 1

So, I've seen several posts that have Esmeralda with a 'twin' brother (some beautiful genderbend work), so I just had to write something for it.

Please read, review and enjoy ?

….

Childbirth was a risky business, everyone in the Court knew that.

Clopin more than anyone.

Even he knew the story about how his mama died giving birth to his baby brother, who passed away not long after the event.

Drumming the fingers of his left hand against his thigh, he fidgeted nervously, unable to remain completely still as he waited for the screaming in the 'royal' tent to stop.

Everyone else looked as nervous as the fourteen-year-old felt.

Two women to his left were washing clothes, intensely focused on the task, as though the warm water would help to block out the noise. A man, who was standing next them, seemed close to tears himself.

Vaguely, Clopin remembered that the man had lost his own love to the pain of childbirth not too long ago.

An elderly couple across from him, who had always been very lucky when it came to their own children, sat there in both excitement and fear.

If this birth was successful, the Romani's and other travellers would have two more members of the 'royal family'.

Clopin sighed quietly and focused on his kneecaps, retreating into his imagination… until a shadow fell over him.

"Hello little prince…" Jehan teased, knowing how much Clopin hated the nickname as he sat next to him, "…. Gold penny for your thoughts?"

The teen shrugged and remained silent.

"… Thinking about your new baby brother or sister?" Jehan asked, not seeming to care that Clopin wasn't speaking, "Because what you're thinking is natural."

"You don't know what I'm thinking."

"Of course I do!" Jehan placed an arm around Clopin's shoulders and pulled him closer, "Younger brother or sister who's going to get all the attention for a while, and then when you get older, you know you'll probably have to take care of them…. I bet my brother Claude felt exactly the same, but most younger siblings aren't that bad."

"…. You ran away from him and fell in love with a gypsy, who he hates." Clopin smirked at him, "You are last person who should be saying younger brothers and sisters aren't that bad."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Before Clopin could even think about teasing the older man further, a hand landed on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

It was then that he realised the screaming of his Papa's second wife had stopped.

Looking at the person who had their hand on his shoulder, Clopin suddenly felt a little bit sick. Blood stained his Papa's blue tunic, his face was pale and his breathing was slightly laboured. Before Clopin could say anything, the King of the Gypsies suddenly fell to his knees as Jehan went to catch him.

"She's dead…" The King whispered weakly, and Clopin's heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach, "... Maria's dead… she's dead."

Not again… his Papa shouldn't have had to go through this all again.

Knowing that he had to be strong, Clopin wrapped his arms around the older man, remaining silent despite the burning question on the tip of his tongue.

What about the child?

"Saber…" Jehan spoke up before Clopin could, "… What about the child?"

"Children."

Clopin and Jehan's eyes widened at this as Saber continued. "Twins. One girl and one boy…. They're okay but- "His voice trailed weakly, his hands gripping at the blood-stained material on his chest as though seeking some sort of anchor.

"What… what are we going to call them?" Clopin eventually spoke up after a few moments of muted sobbing from his Papa, trying to stop his Papa from retreating into himself.

Saber just shrugged, prompting Clopin to try a little harder.

"How about Esmeralda for the girl?" he asked, knowing that his Papa once had a sister with the same name, "And maybe… Saphir for the boy?"

Saphir…. The brother who died all those years ago would have been called that.

Saber just nodded, his eyes still shut and pressed his face against the top of Clopin's head.

"It's going to be okay Papa." Clopin tried to promise him, wincing as his Papa shook his head and groaned.

"No… no it's not."

…..

"… Such a shame…"

"…. Only fourteen years old… "

"… so much responsibility…"

The happy news of the new-born twins was soon moved to one side when the rest of the gypsies realised just how badly the death of his second wife had affected their king, and what Clopin was having to do to keep everything afloat.

Like now.

Bouncing in place, humming a nonsense song he'd heard long ago at one of the parades at around three in the morning, Clopin desperately tried to get three-week-old Esmeralda to get to sleep.

Who knows what had upset her this time.

The small baby let out a high-pitched wail, and Clopin rubbed the back of her head soothingly, stopping for a minute to sway side to side, as though leading the baby through a waltz… and probably looking a little foolish as he did so.

His ears were starting to ring, and he could only pray that her twin brother was alright in his basket. They could be just as fussy as each other sometimes.

He also hoped that his watery eyes were from lack of sleep, or he'd be screwed.

Locating a nearby blanket, he lay her down and checked her nappy with the hope that maybe all this fussing was only due to her feeling uncomfortable. It had only been changed a few hours ago, but he'd be willing to hand-wash all of the cloth nappies in order to stop the crying.

Seeing that she'd not even wet it, Clopin groaned in despair, the sound seeming to echo throughout the hideout.

"Please Esme…" he begged, "… I don't know what you want!"

Lifting her back into his arms, he sat on the stone ground and started to rock back and forth, slowly rubbing her back as he ignored the sympathetic looks he was getting from the nearby women.

Less than ten minutes passed before she fell asleep from exhaustion.

Slowly, he got back to his feet and headed back into the main tent, and gently placed her back in her basket, laying her next to her brother... who was only really half-asleep.

Well, at least he wasn't crying.

…. Okay, now he was.

"Clopin?"

Clopin turned to the tent entrance, as Jehan's wife, Rosella, entered, her heavily pregnant stomach protruding outwards.

"Do you want me to get some milk for him? I think Rose's cow has been milked recently?"

In exhaustion, he nodded wearily, giving her a sleepy smile as he lifted Saphir into his arms, desperately hoping the boy didn't wake his sister up.

Rosella returned quicker than what he expected, handing over the milk and watching as Clopin expertly placed the bottle in his little brothers' mouth and started talking to Saphir.

The tone was soothing and clearly intended to be child-friendly, however, unlike other careers, Clopin didn't make his voice any higher or plaster a fake grin on his face. He talked about the parade that was going to happen later on that day, the best trees for climbing, the puppet shows he had planned.

Saphir watched his big brother with half-lidded eyes, the milk already settling in his stomach, enough to make him drowsier.

Rosella couldn't help but smile at the scene, the smile only widening as Clopin finished feeding the baby, patting his back until he burped, before rocking him back to sleep.

"It's so humid outside…" he muttered, "… I'm trying to keep them cool, but I don't know how!"

"Get rid of the blankets and try and keep their clothing light."

When Clopin gave her a curious look, she shrugged and gave him a reassuring smile. "I looked after a lot of babies before I met Jehan… just trust me on this. I'll help you get cool, and then you should get some rest. It's bad enough your Papa will probably miss the parade, but there's no reason why you should as well."

Clopin stood there for a few moments, staring at her and remaining completely still, clearly trying not to wake Saphir again. Eventually, he sighed and placed the baby next to his sister, watching to make sure he wouldn't wake up again, before flopping into his own bed wearily.

"Rosella…" he whispered, just before she could leave, "… do you think my Papa's gonna be alright?"

It was times like this, when Rosella realised just how young Clopin really was. No fourteen-year-old should have this much responsibility.

"I believe so…" she eventually answered, "… we are all praying for him. I believe that God will not let him suffer for long. He will find peace, I promise."

"… Merci Rosella."

As she left the tent, she chose to ignore the muffled sobs of the young boy within.

Let Clopin keep his pride.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a warm summers day when everything started to go wrong.

Money was always good in summer, with larger crowds and tourists from all corners of France making their way to Paris for a short break. They tended to pay generously for a bit of entertainment.

With his younger siblings sleeping peacefully in the shade of a large tree, with Rosella and Jehan's… unusual looking child, Tomas, by their side, Clopin was free to run his little puppet shows.

Each gypsy had a certain skill that they used to their advantage, and Clopin's was puppets, all homemade and resembling different people he'd met during their travels. People loved it, and it brought in quite a few gold coins.

Today, he was telling the children the story of the brother of a Judge, who had been pushed into the boring life of a priest, only to search for freedom and finally achieve it. All based on Jehan's story of course.

"What happened to the man?" one of the children eagerly asked, leaning forwards in excitement, "Did his brother ever find him?"

"Never!" Clopin boldly stated, "He got married and had little babies of his own."

The children all cheered, clapping and whooping in glee at the happy ending.

As he prepared for the next show, Clopin quickly checked on his siblings, smiling as the 6-month-olds beamed at him, both reaching up their arms to be picked up and hugged (which he was happy to do). Of course, he made sure to give little Tomas some attention as well, fingers running through red hair.

The baby was deformed, no on could argue that, but he was still an innocent baby.

Everyone else might flinch away from him, but not the gypsies. They knew what it was like to be outcasts.

And then everything went wrong.

Jehan suddenly came rushing over to Clopin and his Father (who was waiting on the side-lines, overlooking everything), "We need to get out of here… now!"

Saber frowned at the demand, "What are you- "

"- He's here! He followed me here!"

"Who?" Clopin asked in confusion, "Who are you talking about?"

Before Jehan could answer, a smaller group of Gypsies suddenly came rushing into the area, one of them clutching a clearly broken arm.

"The new justice minister!" The man gasped, "H-He's got guards with him. He's pushing us off the main streets and- "

Suddenly, they all heard the heavy footsteps of a large horse, clearly one bred for war and violence.

Jehan immediately went to grab his son as Clopin did the same for his siblings, trying to shush them as they cried out in protest.

Within a couple of minutes, the group were out of the streets and running back to their home, just as a large horse, its rider a stern, older man, appeared around the corner.

…..

"Alright…" Saber growled after doing a quick head-count (and making sure that any injured were with the healers), turning to Jehan, "… who was that?"

Jehan was silent for a few moments, before he hung his head. "Claude… my brother."

Silence.

"He-" Jehan took a deep breath, "- Someone must have seen me and reported back to him. I think he's here looking for me, and if he can punish gypsies in the process, then he will."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone absorbed this news, before Jehan continued, bouncing his son up and down in his arms. "We need to get out of here… " he turned to his wife, "… all of us. As soon as possible."

"Tomas is too young!" Rosa immediately protested, "We can't leave right now."

"She's right…" Saber spoke up, "… the nights are short. It'll be better to wait until the colder months. The night comes a lot sooner then. The guard activity won't be as prevalent."

Jehan clearly didn't like this, opening his mouth to protest, only for Saber to hold up his hand in a silent order for him to be quiet.

"I won't hear anymore about this Jehan. You will remain out of sight, until it's safe to move you."

….

Winter swept in quickly, and soon, every gypsy was struggling to wrap up against the freezing wind and snow.

With Tomas almost six months old, Rosa could no longer deny that they needed to go. Over the course of the morning and afternoon, they packed up their belongings.

The atmosphere was subdued.

Judge Claude Frollo was cruel, often giving gypsies some of the harshest sentences for the tiniest of crimes, just to get them off the streets. He spread horrific stories around, telling the people of Paris that gypsies were nothing more than thieves and murderers, with many of them practicing witchcraft in order to seduce to good Christians of Paris.

Business had been hard, and food supplies were starting to get low.

"Hopefully I'll be able to get him away from Paris…" Jehan cautiously spoke up in the silence, "… He's followed me this far. I doubt he'll be able to resist."

"What will he do if he finds you?" Clopin nervously asked.

"… I don't know. But I'm trying not to think about that too much."

With everything packed, the pair and the nearly sobbing baby moved over to Saber, who had his own small bag packed and dagger at his side. The King turned to Clopin, "I will see them out of Paris. Look after your siblings and our people in the meantime, okay?"

Clopin nodded, a serious expression on his young face. It was a big responsibility for him, and he knew it.

Never did he imagine that he wouldn't see his Father ever again.

…..

"Can't you make him be quiet?" Saber hissed as the boat lazily floated down the River Seine, their breath creating clouds in the air, "We'll be spotted!"

Rosa nodded, gently hushing Tomas in a vain attempt to quiet him down. "Hush little one."

But the cold air was just too much for him.

As the boat came to a stop, just on the outskirts of Paris, the man who had been steering the rowboat climbed out and held out his hand. "Four gold pieces your Highness… as was our agreement."

Before Saber could hand them over, an arrow came out of nowhere and pierced the ferryman's staff, causing him to yelp in alarm, especially when armed guards suddenly appeared from the shadows, surrounding them immediately.

Saber tried to knock the spears away, arms outstretched in an effort to protect Jehan and his family.

But it was too late.

From a nearby alleyway, the sound of a large horse echoed throughout it, as the creature came into view, a stern-looking man riding it.

"Claude…" Saber heard Jehan practically whimper behind him, "… oh God, this was all a trap."

"Bring these gypsies to the Palace of Justice!" The Judge ordered, before turning a sly smirk onto his brother, "Except that one. Lock him in my office. We need to have a little chat I think."

"You there!" One of the guards tried to grab at the bundle in Rosa's arm (Tomas seemed to have fallen silent almost as soon as the boat came to a stop… not that it helped), "What are you hiding?!"

"Stolen goods no doubt. Take them from her!" Judge Frollo ordered.

Rosa ran.

As Frollo chased after her, the others were dragged away.

It was the last time Jehan saw his wife.

…

Rosa ran as fast as she could, leaping over gates and other obstacles in order to get away from the large horse and its terrifying rider.

Tomas squirmed in her arms but remained silent as Rosa raced up the stairs of Notre Dame, her fist banging on the door, desperation in her voice as she called out "SANCTUARY! PLEASE GIVE US SANCTUARY!"

The door remained closed.

Seeing that Judge Frollo was almost on top of her, Rosa set off running again, crying out when Frollo grabbed the blankets keeping her baby warm. She clung onto Tomas with all of her strength, only for a heavy foot to kick her in the stomach, sending her flying to the ground, her head striking the stone stairs with a resounding CRACK!

She knew nothing more after that.

…

It was late afternoon.

Clopin paced the small tent back and forth, trying not to trip over the twins and their toys as he did.

Their Father should have been back by now. He should have been back hours ago actually.

"Clopin! Clopin!"

Quickly, he rushed out of the tent, only to see a small group of men, who usually went undercover as blind men, rushing towards him, fear written all over their faces.

"What is it?" The teen asked, glancing at all of them one by one, not liking what he was seeing, "What happened?"

The men all glanced at one another, before the largest of the group stepped forwards, all removing their hats in a show of grief and mourning, "Your Father, he- "he stopped, as though the words had been caught in his throat, "- he was caught by Judge Frollo…. They all were."

Clopin felt faint, forcing himself to remain upright as his fists clenched in anger, "Tomas, Rosa, Jehan… all of them?"

The man nodded, "All of them…. And- "Another pause.

"- And what?!"

"… Your Father must have been hung in the early hours of the morning." One of the other men managed to force out, "We're sorry but… there's nothing we can do."

Hung.

His Father was dead.

Clopin felt his knees buckle out from under him, hearing the alarmed cries of the men as he fell to the ground.

His Father was dead… which made him and the twins orphans.

His Father was dead… which made him the leader of the gypsies.

Mon Dieu.


	3. Chapter 3

Clopin felt like he was going to collapse from exhaustion. It had been just under a year since his Father had died and the responsibility of being the King of the Gypsies fell to him. Ever since then, he had gone out for long hours, trying to make enough money to buy food and clothes for him and his siblings.

But it was getting harder every day.

The crackdown on the gypsies was getting worse, with almost a quarter of their community moving on as soon as they could, sneaking into caravans and coaches.

Working all day, and when it was all over, he had to go home and take care of the twins.

"Hey babies…" he greeted as soon as he entered the tent, nodding in thanks to the woman who had been willing to look after the one-year-olds all day, "… have you been good?"

Neither of them had quite moved onto speaking words yet, but they were clearly happy to see him as they crawled towards him, beaming grins on their faces. Slowly, Clopin went to his knees, wrapping one arm around each of them and pulling them close.

They didn't understand what was going on. They didn't understand that their Dad was dead and Clopin was now the new King.

Clopin was a little jealous.

"Any problems?" he asked Imelda, who was giving him a sympathetic smile, "Do you need me to get anything for them?"

She shook her head sadly, "No… and even if they did, I'm sure the rest of the community will happily donate something."

"I can't ask that of anyone."

"You don't have to ask sweetie." At Clopin's following silence, Imelda sighed and nodded wearily, "Alright… I'll leave you be. Remember what I said though."

"Oui… merci."

As soon she'd left the tent, Clopin practically deflated, slumping over as he rested against his own bed. Just before he could fall asleep, he felt tiny hands pat him on the cheeks, prompting him to open his eyes and stare down at his brother and sister.

"What?"

"Ah!" Saphir cooed, hand reaching up to grab at Clopin's hair, gently tugging at it.

"Cheer up? Is that what you're asking?"

"Ah!" This time, it was Esmerelda who cooed, almost seeming to agree with the statement.

"I'm sorry but… I don't think I can."

The twins glanced at one another, before Saphir hit Clopin a little harder on the cheek, shocking him for a brief moment.

"Hey, what was that for?"

The pair just pouted at him, identical frowns on their face.

Clopin stared at them for a few moments, before sighing wearily and forcing a smile onto his face, "How about this? Is this okay? Is this what you want?"

No matter how fake it was, it was clearly what the babies wanted to see.

"Alright, alright…" he whispered, pulling the pair into a hug, "… I'll try."

…..

Things needed to change, he knew that as much as anyone.

His Papa knew the benefits of spreading out tasks, delegating power…. He would never have let himself be run into the ground like this.

After getting a few hours sleep, his siblings curled up in his arms, he started to make a list. The majority of his Papa's loyal men still remained, and he knew that they were likely to still be loyal to him. He scribbled out the list as quickly as he could, naming all those he knew to be loyal and giving them the jobs that they were probably the best at.

"Come on you two." He gently woke the twins up, getting them fed and dressed as quickly as he could, "Things are going to change around here. No more working long hours, and more time with you two."

They didn't really know what he was saying, but they giggled and smiled anyway.

He wished they could stay that way. Innocent and unaware of the troubles they'd come up against in the future.

"Clopin?" Imelda slowly moved the tent flap to one side and entered, her eyes widening slightly, "I thought I heard you! You're still- "

"- here, yes I know." The teenager straightened up, "I was hoping that you could do a favour for me?"

"Anything."

Smiling at her eagerness, Clopin held out the longish list. "I was hoping you could be my second in command? You're right… I need help."

It took Imelda a few moments to respond, but when she did, it was with a big beaming grin on her face.

"Whatever you need Clopin, I'm here."

"Thank you…" Clopin glanced down at the twins, "… I think, I'll take the day off today."

"An excellent choice… your majesty."


	4. Chapter 4

"No, no, no!" Clopin grabbed the three-year-old Saphir by the collar of his tunic, stopping him from running out of the tent and into the night-time celebrations, "It's bedtime!"

"NO!"

As Saphir whined and struggled to get free, Clopin spotted Esmerelda attempting to sneak out as well.

"Get back here, young lady!"

Esmerelda just giggled, flashing her older brother a wicked grin, before making a dash for it…. Only to run right into Imelda.

"Ah, ah, ah." Imelda lifted the child into her arms, giving her a little shake when the three-year-old attempted to wriggle free, "Isn't it time for you two to be in bed?"

"No!" "No!" Both twins cried out in unison.

"Yes!" Clopin groaned, "Please, I'm not above begging!"

Lifting Saphir up into his arms, making sure to keep a tight hold of him, Clopin then headed to grab Esmerelda, practically throwing them onto the thread-bare mattress and mass of blankets that constituted as their bed.

Before they could leave the soft area, Clopin suddenly held up his hand, "Ah, ah, ah… if you stay in bed, then I'll tell you a story about Papa."

Much to Imelda's surprise, the twins stopped immediately, beaming grins on their faces as they leant back against the blankets.

"Right…. Finally." Clopin sighed and took a seat opposite them twisting around to smile at Imelda, "Thank you, I think I have them handled now."

"If you're sure… I'm just a call away."

"Thank you, Imelda."

Once she was gone, Clopin turned his attention back to his siblings, smiling when he realised that the eager look hadn't disappeared. "Alright…" he shuffled a little bit closer, "… what kind of story do you want to hear?"

"One about Daddy and Mummy!" They both cried out in unison, not seeming to notice the flash of pain that appeared on their brother's face.

It had been so long since he'd even thought about his Dad and second mother… it's not because he wanted to forget about them… it was just because of all the new responsibilities he had to take on.

"What- " he cleared his throat, "- what kind of story?"

"A happy one!" Saphir quickly spoke up, "Can Mummy dance like Esme?"

Clopin's mind flashed back to when he was around ten, warming up next to the fire as his parents danced around it, leaving Clopin to laugh and clap along to the beat.

"I can tell you the story about their song?" he asked, smiling as the twins nodded eagerly, "Alright, well, it all began around seven years ago."

********Flashback**********

"Saber, enough!" Maria giggled, trying to shield her neck from the scratchy beard as Saber attempted to kiss her, "Saber, Clopin is watching!"

Saber turned and winked at his son, who was smirking, sewing up his new puppet, "It's nothing he hasn't seen before."

"Doesn't mean I want to see it again Papa!" Clopin groaned, sticking his tongue out at his Father when the older man smirked at him and continued with what he was doing.

As Maria and Saber continued to giggle and flirt with one another, Clopin soon forgot about his puppet, gently placing it on the blanket next to him as he watched them.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with n'er a fear of drowning." Saber then started to softly sing, "And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will stay with me."

Almost instantly everything fell silent as he continued.

"No scorching sun, nor freezing cold, will stop me on my journey. If you will promise me your heart."

Saber then paused, clearly waiting for his wife to continue on the song. When it looked like she wasn't going to, he frowned in disappointment and took a step back.

"… And love me for eternity." Maria eventually finished, before turning to Saber and shaking her head, "You're are such a charmer and a poet. You know I don't need things like that to be happy."

"How about if I bring you rings of gold?" Saber continued, a beaming smile on his face, "Compose you songs about my love?"

"I only want your hand to hold, I only want you near me."

The pair wrapped their arms around one another, feet moving in a fast-paced dance, laughing as Saber reached out and grabbed Clopin's hand, pulling him into the dance. For a few minutes, they danced around the fireplace, until they were too tired and collapsed onto a pile of blankets, Clopin wrapped up in his father's arms as Maria kissed him on the forehead.

******End Flashback******

Clopin sighed wearily as he finished the story, noticing that the twins were finally asleep, curled up next to one another, hands gripping each others' clothing.

Slowly, he closed the curtain that separated his area from theirs and collapsed onto the pile of blankets that acted as his bed.

There were some days when he could think about his Papa and feel nothing but happiness and joy at the memory, remembering him as a fun-loving man who did anything he could to provide a good home for his son and wife.

Then there were the days like this.

Days were even the smallest thing reminded him of his Papa, and caused him to feel like his heart was being ripped out of his chest, like he couldn't breathe

"Papa…" he whispered, "… I need you."


	5. Chapter 5

"The winds are picking up again, which means we might not be able to set up some of the larger attractions"

"Clopin, you're starting to panic again." Imelda sighed, "Just be confident and calm, and everything will be fine. We've dealt with strong winds before, and always come out on top. Don't worry."

Clopin nodded, nervously running his fingers through his hair, "And look…" he whined, "… the colours faded from Josef's stall! That's one of our main attractions!"

"It happens Clopin, things like this happen. That's why we trade with the tailors near the city centre. They can give us some fresh cloth." Before Clopin could rush over to Joseph, Imelda grabbed his arm, pulling him back, "And nobody can concentrate if you hover over them like that!"

Noticing that several members of their community were starting to make their way over in concern, Imelda waved them away, placing a hand around Clopin's shoulders, "Alright, what's the next step after checking all equipment?"

Clopin winced, pressing the palms of his hands to his forehead, occasionally hitting himself in a desperate attempt to remember.

"I know this one, I know this one! What is it!"

"We relax!"

Clopin weakly smiled, allowing himself to be pulled over to a quieter area by the stern-faced woman.

"It'll be fine." She assured him, "It's the same year after year. The crowds all pile in, they come, they eat, they leave! Leaving us with enough money to keep going through tough times. It's not a perfect life, but it's our life nonetheless."

The pair dodged a herd of goats as they headed towards the exit, getting ready for the daily walk.

Closely following the herd, was Esmerelda and Saphir, making as much noise as they could, terrorising the herd and making the poor farmer more and more annoyed.

"HEY!" Imelda snapped, instantly bring the twins to a skidding halt, "What have we told you about chasing the herds? You're children, not dogs!"

The Twins clearly still thought the situation was funny, but they hung their heads in mock shame and headed over to the pair anyway.

"How many times to I have to give you this lecture?!" Imelda groaned, "I'm going to have your hearing checked because clearly you clearly aren't listening to me!"

"Sorry Imelda." "Sorry Imelda."

"It's not me you have to be apologising to." She gestured over at Clopin, frowning when the twins seemed actually amused at the idea.

"Sorry big brother." "Sorry big brother." They both stated in unison, a slight tone of mocking in their voices, before they ran off again.

"I don't understand what I've done." Clopin whispered, "I swear they liked me a few weeks ago."

"I know, I know… Maybe they're having some problem adjusting to you being the King full time?"

Clopin's eyes narrowed in thought. It was possible.

With this new year starting, it was decided that Clopin would take over fully, having become a full adult not too long ago. With his new responsibilities, dealing with hyperactive twins was the last thing on his mind, and therefore his brother and sister were often left with other children around their own age and any mothers who were caring for them.

It was then that the twins suddenly seemed to hate him.

"Maybe… you should consider giving them a part? Something to do?"

Clopin immediately shook his head, "No way, not with Frollo and all his guards out there! It's barely safe for us, what's it going to be like for them?!"

"Surely it's better than keeping them cooped up down here? Maybe they should learn how to escape sooner rather than later?"

The idea was an intriguing one… Clopin thought about it for a few moments. Esmerelda could dance, even if it was only a small tap dance, and with Saphir as her partner, it would make for a very cute act.

"Alright… fine."

When the twins ran past again, Clopin grabbed them by the collar, stopping them instantly. "Come on." He sighed, "Let's see if we have any festival clothes for you."

"We get to go outside?!"

"Really?"

"Under my careful supervision, yes." Clopin pulled out a dark purple dress for Esmerelda, and a similar shade of purple pants for Saphir, combined with a white shirt, "Now stay still, I need to brush your hair and get it all neatened up."

Thankfully, the promise of going topside was enough to make them behave thankfully.

"Now, there are plenty of puppet stories that I can tell that can include you two dancing…" Clopin explained, "… when you hear a sharp whistle from the look-out, you find me immediately so that we can leave. If you can't find me, which shouldn't happen, then you find the first available adult. Run and hide, understood?"

The twins both nodded seriously, both knowing what would happen if they didn't follow these rules to the letter.

"Alright." Clopin sighed, "Let's go."

As he made his way over to the other gypsies, who were all preparing to head up to the main city, he was stunned when his hands were gently taken, the twins both huddling closer. It seemed that the actual possibility of going to the city, was less exciting than they thought.

"It'll be okay." Clopin tried to reassure them (and himself really), "Everything will be fine."

….

"…and the Prince was transformed back into a handsome prince." Clopin quickly shifted puppets, "The Princess didn't know it was him at first, but at the sight his eyes, she leapt forwards and pulled him into a kiss of true love."

The kids watching the show all ewwwed in the customary manner, grossed out by the whole kissing deal.

Aah, to be young again.

"Everyone had been turned back to normal, and a giant ball was held, and everyone danced until dawn, and they all lived happily ever after."

As Clopin said the last sentence, Esmerelda and Saphir started to dance again, this time pulling the watching children into the dance with them, the sound of giggling and laughter filling the streets.

"GUARDS! GUARDS!"


	6. Chapter 6

"GUARDS! GUARDS!"

Clopin flinched, darting out of his tent as the lookout scurried past them, "Esme! Saphir! Here! Now!"

Thankfully, the twins had actually listened to him this time and were next to him in seconds, both clutching onto his legs… which of course, made running away very difficult.

"Alright, new plan!" Clopin lifted them into his arms, allowing another gypsy to grab his puppet equipment, "Hold on!"

…

"Clopin, we've been hiding for hours!" Esme whined, "Can't we go out and play now?"

"Not until we get the all clear signal." Keeping an eye on the twins and keeping them entertained wasn't his idea of a good time either, "Once we get that signal, then maybe you and your sister can go play in the courtyard, but only for a bit. We don't know how many guards will be on patrol this night."

The pair nodded, but it was clear that they were too busy thinking of that open courtyard.

There was no point in trying to get through to them.

As the lookout whistled again, indicating that the coast was clear, Clopin had to grab the twins before they rushed off. "When the sky turns red and purple, you are to meet me back here, am I understood?"

They nodded and were gone before Clopin could say anything else.

"Great." He whispered, "Just great."

….

"En guard!"

Esmerelda gave her brother a withering look, "You promised we could play Princesses today."

"… Princesses can have swords."

"If any Princess is going to have a sword, it's going to be me!" As she went to grab the stick, Saphir nimbly danced away, sticking his tongue out at her as she stomped her foot on the ground in displeasure.

"Give it to me!" She growled, "Give it to me!"

"Make me!"

The pair chased each other around the courtyard, Saphir just ahead of his sister. As he looked back, to see how close she was, he suddenly collided into someone, sending him flying to the ground.

"Hey!"

Saphir just stared up at the girl. She was probably around his age, carrying a book in her arms as she glared down at him. Wearing a light blue dress, brown hair tied back in a neat ponytail, the girl looked like every other child who came to the courtyard.

Not to Saphir though.

"S-sorry!" He stammered, pushing himself to his feet, "I didn't mean to- "

"- Belle? Belle?"

A short, older man toddled over, peering down at Saphir, a friendly smile on his face. "Have you made a new friend sweetie?"

The girl… Belle… frowned, before smiling shyly and nodding. "Yeah."

"Wonderful. Maybe you can stay here whilst I get us some supper for tonight?"

"Yeah, she can stay with us!" Saphir pushed himself to his feet, ignoring how Esme hissed his name behind him, "Me and Esme were playing Princesses today!"

"I can be the princess who needs rescuing." Belle volunteered, "If it means I can read my book?"

Before Saphir could answer, Esmerelda stepped forwards, "I was going to be the one who needed rescuing!"

It was a lie… a very obvious one, but Belle nodded in understanding anyway. "Okay." She whispered, "I can be… the sidekick?"

"How about you be the dragon?"

"Esme!" Saphir interjected, "Stop it! You can be the Princess next time! You're more of a dragon than she is anyway!"

Needless to say, no-one was really surprised when Saphir was tackled to the ground, Belle taking a step back in alarm as the other children crowded round, all cheering as whooping as Esmerelda pinned her brother to the ground, her nails trying to scratch at his skin.

"Get off! Get off!"

"Alright, that's enough now!" An exasperated voice sighed, grabbing their collars and pulling them apart, "I was going to ask what you wanted for tea. Gone for less than five minutes, and you managed to get into a fight!"

The twins ignored their brother, both snarling in an attempt to get back at each other, poor Belle watching on from the side-lines.

"Hey!" Clopin shook them, almost knocking their heads together, "What's got into you two?"

They both started talking at the same time, raising their voices in order to try and be heard over the top of the other.

"Alright, enough! Enough!" Clopin groaned, watching as the unfamiliar girl rushed away, "I wasn't gone for that long? What happened!?"

"Saphir got a girlfriend!" Esmerelda hissed, "And he was going to let her be the Princess!"

"If she was the Princess, then she could sit and read her book while we fought!" Saphir protested, "And she'd still be playing with us!"

"You just wanted to kiss her!"

"So?!"

"So- So- "Esmerelda stopped, before renewing her struggles to get free and get at her brother, "- That's gross! You're gross!"

It was with a jolt that Clopin realised exactly what was going on.

"Oh sweetie." He sighed, pulling Esmerelda closer to him, trying to trap her in a hug, "Right, I think I understand. Let's go home and we'll talk about this."

…

"But I want to see you shout at her!" Saphir protested, as he was forced out of the tent.

"I'm not going to- Look, just go and bother Imelda for a bit."

"Esme always gets to watch when I'm in trouble!"

"Not this time, not this time."

Once he was sure that his younger brother was out of earshot, Clopin turned to Esmerelda and sighed, "You know… Saphir will always be your brother. Is doesn't matter if he makes friends with another girl."

"I don't care."

"Yes, you do." Clopin sighed and took a seat next to his sister, "Maybe it's my fault… I should have let you two play with other children more, so that all this didn't happen."

"He's mine though."

"Esme- "

"He's my brother!" Esmerelda shot into a seated position, and glared at her older brother, "I don't want to share him."

Clopin stared at her for a few seconds, before shaking his head, "Why am I getting the feeling that I'll have to have this same conversation with Saphir when you make new friends."


	7. Chapter 7

Bedtime.

Clopin had really started to hate bedtimes recently.

The twins were now six, and honestly, the idea of sleep seemed foreign to them. Every night there was an argument, and Clopin now started the night angry. He didn't work his way up to anger anymore when they inevitably ignored him.

He started angry to get through to them, to try and persuade them to actually go to bed on time.

It never worked.

Clopin was never sure what they were talking about when they huddled close to one another like this. Saphir would whisper something before handing one of their toys over to Esme, and she would do the same for him.

It went back and forth like this for ages, Esme giggling as Saphir whispered something in her ear.

Usually, whatever he was saying was accompanied with a sly look at Clopin… which wasn't reassuring in the slightest.

"They're growing up so much." Imelda had moved over to him, standing by his side as she watched them as well, "Who told them they were allowed to do that."

"They're growing up and getting more cunning." Clopin narrowed his eyes at the pair, "I don't like it."

"Wait until they're teenagers." She then turned to Clopin and pursed her lips, "I wonder what they're talking about?"

"Nothing good if I know those two." Clopin frowned, "They've come up with a new way to try and avoid bedtime every night for a week now, and I do not trust them."

"You don't trust those two cuties?"

"No… and you shouldn't either." Clopin stared at them for a few moments more, before shaking his head, "You take Saphir and I'll take Esme."

"Why that way around?"

"Esme bites… I wouldn't put you through that."

"Bites? How hard?"

"Let's just say I still have the scar from last time."

Imelda winced, before nodding in agreement with the plan, darting in and grabbing Saphir, just as Clopin managed to get a hold of a squirming Esmerelda. The twins immediately started to protest, not even calming down when Imelda tried to hum a soothing lullaby.

It took another two hours before the twins fell asleep, and by the end of it, Imelda and Clopin were completely exhausted.

"See what I mean?" Clopin collapsed onto his own bed, throwing one arm over his eyes, "How do I just get to sleep on time!"

"… Have you tried sending them to help the nightwatch?"

Clopin frowned.

The nightwatch was exactly what the name suggested. The braver members of the community would dress up and disguise themselves in order to keep a watch on the sewers that led to their hideout and discourage anyone who was getting to close to the entrance.

There was a reason Paris had some of the best ghost stories in the world.

"You mean…. Send them out at night?"

"Not out of the sewers…. But maybe in them. They can be messengers. If something goes wrong, one of the men can tell them and they can come here and tell us. All that running, and late nights should wear them out."

Clopin had to admit, it was a good idea.

"Alright…" He sighed, "… Let's talk with the nightwatch and see if they agree to it."

…

"I should sit on the throne, I'm a boy!"

"And I'm a girl, and therefore smarter!"

Clopin couldn't help but roll his eyes. One day Esme's strong nature would get her into trouble. "Saph! Esme!" He called out, stopping them mid-play, "Come here."

The twins glanced at each other warily, before slowly making their way over.

"How would you like to go to bed a little later tonight?"

They glanced at each other in glee before nodding their heads eagerly.

"Great!" Clopin wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, "Because I have the perfect job for you two."

"A job?! Clopin!"

He tightened his grip so that they couldn't escape, pulling them towards the entrance to the sewers.

"It's a very important job though." Clopin stated, "You want to help keep us all safe, right?"

The pair glanced at each other before nodding up at their older brother,

"Well, this is a very important job. You will be responsible for letting us know if anything bad is going to happen, therefore keeping us all safe."

Esme and Saphir were silent.

"I know you two want to do more around here, and this is the perfect way to do it."

"… Does that mean we get a later bedtime."

Clopin resisted the urge to smirk. He's got them…. Hook, line and sinker.

"Yes, it does." Clopin faked a deep sigh, "I've given up fighting with you two, so you win… you are officially allowed to stay up past your bedtime."

Esme and Saphir both whooped in glee, high-fiving each other as Clopin let go of them, letting them run ahead of him.

"We're going to be messengers! We're going to be messengers!"

As they rushed on ahead, Imelda turned to Clopin and smirked, "Regret it yet?"

"Ask me that in a few weeks."


	8. Chapter 8

It was on the fifth night in a row, that Esme finally decided to do something about the sleepless nights.

Almost every night this week, Esme had been woken by her twin's frantic whimpers and thrashing on the other side of the tent.

"No… no!"

His voice, usually so steady and self-assured, always woke her up instantly, but this time, she rolled out of bed and slowly made her way over.

"No! NO!"

Clopin was out for the night, so it was just them.

"Saphir! Saphir!" She pushed at his shoulder, trying to wake him up, yelping when he shot up with a gasp, "Saphir… are you okay?"

"I-I- "He shook his head, "- I just had a bad dream. It's nothing."

Esme winced in sympathy, pulling her twin in for a hug, "Well… how about we share a bed for the night. I'll keep you safe."

She knew that he wouldn't tell her what the dream was about, so she simply held his hand and made sure he was safe and warm beneath the covers. She murmured reassurances, hearing a storm brewing up above.

Eventually, Saphir calmed down again, green eyes so similar to her own staring at her, guileless and trusting. She wrapped her arms around him in a loose hug, humming the old lullaby that Clopin used to sing to them when they were really little.

It didn't take long for Saphir to fall asleep, Esme joining him soon afterwards.

…

"He's having nightmares?"

Esme nodded furiously, staring up at her older brother as the young man frowned.

"Are they bad?"

"Very." Esme nodded firmly, "So, you need to help him."

"I will. I promise."

…

Clopin kept a careful eye on his younger brother for a few hours.

It was clear Saphir wasn't getting as much sleep as he should have been. There were dark shadows under his eyes, and he wasn't as energetic as he usually was, often stopping to watch the other children play.

It was very out of character.

"Saphir!" He called out, silently gesturing for his brother to come over when the boy glanced over. Slowly, Saphir made his way over, not looking his brother in the eyes.

"… What's wrong Saphir?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me Saphir." Clopin looked away from the child, glancing around to see curious looks aimed in their direction, "Follow me."

It was best this didn't happen in front of others.

He led Saphir into their tent, before motioning for him to sit down.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, a little more gently, "Esme says you've been suffering from nightmares."

"Esme needs to learn to keep her mouth shut." Saphir pouted, "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Those circles under your eyes would disagree." Clopin shuffled a little closer, wrapping an arm around his younger brother, "What's been keeping you awake."

There was a moment of silence, before Saphir sighed.

"I-I… I heard about what happened to Dad." He eventually answered, "Is that…. Is that going to happen to you?"

Clopin winced, "Well… they'll have to catch me first."

It was clear that that wasn't reassuring.

"Saphir." He sighed, "What happened to Father… I can't promise that nothing bad will ever happen to me, but I swear, I will do everything in my power to make sure that it doesn't."

"Promise?"

Clopin pulled his brother into a full hug, feeling the smaller body shudder against his as Saphir fought to keep back his tears. "I promise. I will everything in my power to protect you, me, Esme and everyone else."

They sat like that for a few moments, before Saphir pulled away, a worried look on his face. "if you don't have any children… will I have to do your job?"

Clopin was definitely caught off guard, "Ummm- "

"- Because I don't think I can do that."

Silence.

Sighing, Clopin pushed himself to his feet and took Saphir's hand. "Come on… I think it's time I showed you and Esme something our Papa once showed me a long time ago."

They headed out of the tent, with Clopin cutting off any questions Esmerelda might have had by taking her hand.

They walked until they were on the streets of Paris, heading up some steps until they were looking down on the city and the flickering candles coming from various windows.

"Something our Papa once told me…" He began slowly, "… was that the role of the Gypsy King was not just to care for those who lived under his reign, but for anyone who needs helps. A strong leader thinks of others, not just themselves."

The twins nodded in understanding.

"One day, one of you may be the new King or Queen, so you need to remember this. If you see someone who needs help, I expect you to help."

"But… Esme can be the leader if I don't want to be, right?" Saphir piped up, a small frown on his face as Esme straightened up proudly.

"I'll- " Clopin glanced down at the pair of them, not able to imagine either of them running the place…. Did his Dad think the same thing about him?

"I'll leave that up to you two."


	9. Chapter 9

She wasn't going to say it.

Clopin had told her that she needed to behave, especially when this group was travelling through Paris.

'Just smile, and don't hit him.' He'd gently ordered her, when the leader of the group sauntered over.

Yes. Sauntered.

He was ten times as arrogant as her brother.

The leader poured himself a generous glass of some of their most expensive liquor, before pouring more and handing one over to Clopin (who did not look impressed). He tried to hand the next two glasses to Esmerelda and Saphir, only to catch Clopin's eye and sheepishly put them down.

"Sorry sweetheart." He smirked at Esmerelda, "He's very over-protective, isn't he?"

"Don't call me that."

"Hmmm?"

Esme narrowed her eyes, ignoring how her two brothers both smirked identical smirks, turning their faces to hide them. "Sweetheart… don't call me sweetheart."

"Most girls like being called sweetheart." The other leader frowned.

"Not me." Esmeralda shrugged, "I find it demeaning. I'm not your sweetheart, so don't call me that."

"You're an odd one then… because I've talked to a lot of women and they seem to appreciate it."

"Not our Esme." Clopin interjected, almost desperately, "She does prefer her actual name."

"Hmmm." Esmerelda ignored the warning, "I find it less demeaning, funnily enough." She pushed herself to her meet, mockingly bowing at the other leader, "Sorry. I've just forgotten something I need to do."

"Sewing?"

She slowly turned back to him, a wicked smirk on her face, "Sword-fighting."

….

When she returned a few hours later, wrist aching from training along with her jaw, from grinding her teeth in anger, her two brothers still appeared to be having a drink with the older man. Carefully, she hid in the shadows, curious over what they were talking about.

It turns out, it was about her.

"You really annoyed her." Saphir sounded annoyed himself.

"Yeah?" The leader scoffed, "Well, she annoyed me first. 'Demeaning'… ha! Like I could 'demean' someone as snooty as her."

"Don't call my sister snooty!"

Fixing her hair, Esme strode back into the area, her back straight and her chin tilted high. She was heading back to her room, only to stop at yet another sly comment from the other leader.

"Getting a bit past your bedtime, isn't it… sweetheart?"

Swiftly, she spun around on one heel and narrowed her eyes at the man, who just smirked.

"You do that a lot. Keep at it, and that pretty face won't be so pretty anymore."

She narrowed them further, as he mimicked her (Clopin and Saphir wincing at either side of him).

(She narrowed them further.) "What?"

"That." (He did an imitation. It was poor.)

She smirked, "Have you ever thought that maybe you deserve the look?"

"What have I done?" The leader honestly didn't seem to see what he'd done wrong.

"Forget it." She rolled her eyes, "Forgive me Clopin, but your friend is clearly too dense to see the truth."

"Hey!" The leader shot to his feet, moving to cut her off, only for both his wrists to be grabbed. One by Clopin and one by Saphir.

"I wouldn't do that." Saphir spoke up before Clopin could leap into his tirade, "Esme fights dirty."

"Good!" The man snapped, "So do I."

"No, I mean she really fights- "

The pair lunged at each other, and within seconds the leader of the other travellers was on the ground, clutching at his gonads as desperate squeaks escaped from his mouth.

"- Dirty." Saphir winced in sympathy, glancing over at Clopin, who looked like he'd aged about ten years since the visit began, "She fights really dirty."

"Let me know when he leaves," Esmerelda sneered down at him, before flouncing back to her tent, ignoring any attempts Clopin made to call her back.

"Saphir?"

"Yes Clopin?"

"Can you go and ask Julia if she has something a little stronger than this wine?"


End file.
